Two Harrogate taxi drivers delivered a letter signed by 154 cabbies to Harrogate Borough Council’s Civic Centre this morning protesting against a raft of new licence conditions they believe are unfair.

The changes, which were approved by the council in April, include potentially revoking a driver’s licence if they receive seven penalty points.

They also stipulate drivers must keep taxi plates on their vehicles even when they are not working, attend mandatory training courses and adhere to stricter rules around scuffs and scratches on vehicles.

Following the Stray Ferret’s article on the new conditions last week, the taxi drivers received some criticism on social media for opposing the seven penalty points rule.

Blueline driver David Goodall wanted to stress that drivers are “not asking for permission” to speed but that the points ban was only one aspect of the changes that he believes will irreparably hurt the trade.

He added:

“What we want is for the council to understand within our occupation you can inadvertently go over the speed limit such as when we have a difficult customer in the car or if someone has a medical emergency and there’s a need to get to hospital quickly.”

Taxi driver Musa Ebzao believes making drivers display their taxi plates at all times could put their security at risk and make their cars or their homes a target for thieves.

“I’ve been threatened by somebody who wanted to burn down my house. The plates are telling people where we live.

“Also so many times, people break in thinking there’s money in the taxi and steal what’s in the meter or sat nav. That has happened many times.”

Read more:

• ‘We just want to make a living’: Harrogate cabbies hit out at new rules

• Harrogate district taxi drivers hit out at ‘unfair’ penalty points proposal

He added that sending experienced drivers on four days of compulsory training was “really insulting”.

“Send me on a course to teach manners and honesty? We already have that. I find it really insulting. I have been taxi driving for 30 years on and off.”

Legal action

Mr Ebzao and Mr Goodall said they will be awaiting a response from the council licensing team but hadn’t ruled out future legal action or protests.

Mr Goodall said:

“An increasing concern is the manner the council is using these conditions as a way of antagonising and persecuting licensed drivers.

“The council should abandon this policy, start from scratch, and consult all the licensed drivers. What we want is common sense, that’s all we ask.”

A council spokesperson said it would not be issuing a response to the letter and that its position has not changed from last week’s statement, which said:

“The safety of customers using taxis is paramount.

“Seven penalty points issued for motoring offences is consistent with proposals for City of York and the West Yorkshire authorities and is recommended in national guidance.

“Taxi drivers’ licences are reviewed on an individual basis when points accumulate. And while the policy specifies seven points, an opportunity is given to the driver to put their side and reasons why their licence should not be revoked.

“Once a vehicle is licensed it is always a licensed vehicle and the law does not permit drivers to take licence plates off. It cannot sometimes be a private vehicle and sometimes be a licensed vehicle at the driver’s choice. And by ensuring a valid licence plate is secured and displayed at all times it allows the public to identify the vehicle as licenced by the local authority, and prevents it being stolen and used by others.”

Applications are now open for thousands of households to apply for their £150 energy rebate from Harrogate Borough Council.

There are around 15,000 households that must fill out an online form because they do not have a direct debit set up with the council.

Other people who have yet to receive the payout because their bank account name does not match the name on their council tax records can also apply on the council’s website.

The payments are to help with soaring energy bills and are being made to homes in council tax bands A-D.

Around a third of Harrogate district households have yet to receive the money, including some of those who will be paid automatically because they pay council tax by direct debit.

Those who are non-direct debit have had to wait until now to apply.

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The council said these households will need their latest council tax bill and bank account details if they want the £150 paid into their bank.

The council added:

“Your rebate will be paid into your bank account within two weeks of a successful application

“Please note that we will not contact you by telephone for this information.”

There is further funding set to be made available for households which do not qualify under the initial scheme. This will include people on low income in council tax bands E-H.

Separately, the government has also announced a £200 discount on energy bills for all domestic electricity customers from October.

However, unlike the council tax rebate, this discount will be automatically recovered from people’s bills in equal £40 instalments over a five year period from 2023, when it is hoped global wholesale gas prices will have come down.

For more information on how to apply for the £150 energy rebate go to www.harrogate.gov.uk/energyrebate

Eight local businesses completed a sleepout with CEO Sleepout UK to raise awareness of hidden homelessness in the district. 

The group of business leaders spent the night sleeping outdoors at Harrogate Rugby Club, and have raised almost £15,000 for CEO Sleepout UK, Ripon YMCA, Harrogate District Foodbank and Harrogate RUFC. 

The North Yorkshire based companies that took part were Nicholls Tyreman Estate Agents, Hudgell Solicitors, Ripon YMCA, Pavilions of Harrogate, Jorvik Design Group, Stratstone BMW, Carson Homes and Harrogate Borough Council.   

The participants included CEO of Hudgell Solicitors Rachel Di Clemente, Nicholls Tyreman director James Tyreman, and director of Jorvik Design Group Ady Rhodes.

The business leaders at Harrogate’s sleepout

Chief executive of CEO Sleepout Bianca Robinson said:  

“I was thrilled to see some of North Yorkshire’s biggest-hearted business people turn out for this event. Just because Harrogate is not a place where you might see many rough sleepers, it doesn’t mean homelessness doesn’t exist.  

“Hidden homelessness is increasing across North Yorkshire – families who can no longer afford private rental, young people, and single mothers living in insecure temporary accommodation.” 

She added:  

“It was a tough night and surprisingly cold, but by bringing those with lived experience to share their stories, and hearing about the vital work of charities on the frontline, we unlock understanding, compassion and inspire our business leaders to use their power to create greater social value.” 

CEO Sleepout stages fundraising events across the UK, and has raised £3 million for more than 100 charities.  

Student from Knaresborough achieves unprecedented full marks in hairdressing exam 

A hairdressing student from Knaresborough has achieved full marks in her practical exam.  

Penny Ledgeway, who is 20, completed her level two exam at Intuitions hairdressing college in Harrogate, with a perfect score of 700 marks.   

During the exam, she was asked to do a number of hairdressing treatments, including half a head of highlights, a restyle and cut, and a curly blow dry. 

When asked why she chose to pursue hairdressing, Ms Ledgeway said:  

“I’ve always wanted to do it really, I like to do a bit of everything but I am quite social anyway.

“I wouldn’t be able to just sit at a computer all day.”

Michelle Oliver, director of Intuitions college, said it was “unusual” for someone to get full marks in the exam, adding:

“Both me and her educator are really proud, she’s worked really hard.

“It’s good for us at Intuitions, but also for the employer to have someone with that skillset from the apprenticeship programme”.

After completing her level two exams, Ms Ledgeway is now a fully qualified hairdresser, and currently works at Kelly Teggin Hair & Beauty in Knaresborough.

She is now hoping to move on to a further stage of qualifications, which she said are more advanced and creative.  

Read more: 

• Harrogate clothing firm partners with cafe to help the homeless
• Ripon hairdresser appeals for rollers for unusual Christmas tree

Switalskis, a group of three specialist law firms, has appointed Julie Guest as its head of people.

Julie Guest gained experience as a HR professional at CNG  She has also worked in positions with Morrisons, Pinsent Masons and William Hill.

The recruitment is a part of the group’s growth strategy, which has already seen an expansion with the investment of firms Atherton Godfrey and Pryers Solicitors.

Ms Guest said:

“It’s great to join a firm with such a strong focus on its people, culture and values.

“My role will involve further integration of people and systems following the acquisition of Atherton Godfrey and Pryers. I aim to enhance Switalskis’ already strong talent development and create an environment and culture in which everyone is able to flourish.”

John Durkan, managing director of Switalskis group, said:

“Julie brings a wide range of valuable experience to this role along with a proven HR leadership track record.

“She has been responsible for a number of successful change and development programmes within professional services businesses, and I’m delighted she has joined us as our first head of people.”

Julie has 28 years’ HR experience and will take on developing Switalskis’ talent, leadership and inclusion strategies.

Harrogate business leaders encouraged to sleep rough for charity

Business leaders in Harrogate will be joining a ‘sleepout’ challenge to help raise money for charity.

CEO Sleepout UK has organised the event, which will see business execs, directors and CEOs from across North Yorkshire sleeping out to raise money for local charities.

The event will take place on May 19th at Harrogate RUFC.

It is expected that around 40 businesses will participate in this years event.

Ison Harrison Solicitors, Cairns Hotel Group and Harrogate Borough Council are just among a few who will take part.

In previous years, the sleepout raised over £23,000.

Harrogate CEO sleepout at the RUFC launch

This year, the funds raised from the sleepout will be sent to YMCA Ripon, Harrogate RUFC community projects, Trussell Trust Harrogate, Walking With The Wounded and CEO Sleepout with 10% of all funds raised going to the DEC Ukraine appeal.

Bianca Robinson, chief executive of CEO Sleepout, said:

“Harrogate isn’t particularly associated with rough sleepers, but this doesn’t mean that homelessness doesn’t exist. We see people sleeping in cars with their children, on friends’ sofas, or worse; risking exploitation in exchange for a roof over their heads.

“The event is a chance for local people to learn about hidden homelessness in the area and what’s been done to help those at risk.”

CEO Sleepout UK was started in 2013 by Andy Preston, now the mayor of Middlesbrough, and has raised over £2.7m to combat homelessness and poverty.

Read more:

• Harrogate bookshop Imagined Things set to move
• All Creatures Great and Small donates food to Knaresborough charity

A Harrogate council officer has been found guilty of stealing from two elderly residents at sheltered accommodation in Ripon.

Yvonne Jones, 60, who at the time was a housing and estate officer for Harrogate Borough Council, asked the victims to pay a week in advance for rent at council-run sheltered accommodation – but kept some of the cash for herself, York Crown Court heard.

One of the named victims, a woman “of some years”, was conned out of £405 after moving into a new council-owned flat.

Prosecutor Philip Standfast said the victim, from Ripon, signed for the new flat in January 2018, when Jones visited her and completed the paperwork.

About two weeks later, Jones, from Harrogate, visited her again and asked her for a payment of £405. Mr Standfast said:

“(The victim) asked her if she wanted cash or a cheque and Jones said she would take cash.”

The victim paid cash and Jones gave her a receipt on a business card, but it showed two figures of £180 and £225 rather than the whole £405. Mr Standfast said:

“(The victim) didn’t question why that receipt was written in that particular way.

“Later, her account was checked by a neighbourhood team leader with the council and there was no record of that cash being paid into that lady’s account.”

Mr Standfast said there were three payments of £85.67 into the council’s account in January and February 2018, but that still left a deficit of £147.72 which had not been credited to the victim’s account.

Fleeced second victim out of £449

The second victim, a man who took up a tenancy at Blossomgate Court in Ripon, was fleeced out of £449 by Jones, whom he first met in February 2018.

She asked him for £200 for rent which he didn’t have on him, but he withdrew it from his bank the following day. Mr Standfast said:

“Despite having asked for £200, (Jones) gave him £20 back, saying he had given her too much.

“It’s not clear why she did that.”

On February 8, Jones met the named victim again and asked for another £200 rent. Mr Standfast said:

“He offered her a cheque, but the defendant said she needed cash and he withdrew it and paid it to her.”

Read more:

• Harrogate district care worker jailed after sexually abusing vulnerable resident
• Four men jailed for Harrogate district burglary spree

In early March 2018, there was a direct debit from the victim’s account to the council for £600, but Jones told him he owed £669. Mr Standfast said:

“She claimed the council could only take an amount of £600 from his account, so he withdrew (the extra) £69 from his bank and paid that to her.”

The victim’s rental account was checked and the £469 he had given her, minus the £20 she gave him back, had not been credited to his account. He notified the council of this.

Acquitted of three other charges

Jones, of High Street, Starbeck, was found guilty of these two thefts following her trial which ended on Friday, April 1. She was acquitted of three other counts in relation to three other tenants.

Mr Standfast said that Jones, who denied all allegations, had been employed as a housing and estate officer at the council from 2014 to 2018, when she was finally caught and ultimately resigned from her post.

‘Her role included dealing with tenants (at Blossomgate and Bondgate Court in Ripon) and “where necessary” taking payments from them for rent and other services.

Mr Standfast said it was “only in exceptional circumstances” that cash should have been taken from a tenant for rent. He added:

“If cash were taken, an official Harrogate Borough Council receipt should have been issued and cash paid in by in by the (housing) officer to a cash-deposit facility.

“That machine would issue a receipt and the cash would be credited to the tenants’ accounts on the following day.”

Mr Standfast alleged that Jones had also taken cash from three other “vulnerable” tenants and either didn’t issue receipts for these payments or did hand them receipts but didn’t forward some of that cash into the council’s account.

These alleged victims included a named man with learning difficulties who needed care and a 77-year-old pensioner with terminal cancer who was receiving housing benefit. However, Jones was acquitted of these three allegations.

Mr Standfast alleged that all the complainants’ accounts were checked by a team leader at the council, who “found discrepancies between what had been paid by the tenants and what was found in their accounts”.

Enquiries were carried out and Jones was suspended in March 2018. She resigned four days later.

Jones will be sentenced for the two convicted offences on April 29.

Two construction contracts worth a total of £28m are to be handed to a Bristol-based firm to build a new leisure centre in Knaresborough and refurbish Harrogate Hydro.

Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet agreed this week to the deals with Alliance Leisure ahead of the works starting next month.

Jonathan Dunk, executive officer for major projects at the council, said the company had been chosen because it has “the right experience and expertise to ensure we deliver good value for money”.

The decision comes after Alliance Leisure was previously awarded a £2m contract to draw up plans for both schemes in 2020.

A planning application for the £17m Knaresborough Leisure Centre was approved on Monday. The plans include building the new facility over at play at Fysche Field before the existing Knaresborough Pool is demolished.

The new leisure centre could be built by July 2023 and will have a six-lane pool, health spa, fitness studios and replacement play area.

The £11.8m Harrogate Hydro plans were approved in October 2021 and include a two-storey extension of the building, as well as a new entrance, cafe and reception area.

There will also be a new diving board structure, fitness suite and refurbished changing areas.

These works could be completed by April 2023.

Councillor Stanley Lumley, cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, told the cabinet meeting that the council was committed to both projects despite rising costs.

He said:

“Keeping people fit and active as long as possible has to benefit everyone with both physical and mental health.

“These new facilities will be far more efficient and this investment keeps us competitive.

“We live in a new world post-Covid and increasing costs, materials and labour shouldn’t stop us in our ambitions.”

Read more:

• Ripon’s long-awaited new pool opens its doors

• Bid to open scuba diving pool in Knaresborough

Cllr Lumley also said he was pleased to see the completion of Ripon’s new multi-million-pound swimming pool which officially opens today after months of costly delays.

The project is nine months overdue and £4m over budget, and refurbishment works on the adjoining Ripon Leisure Centre are still underway after the discovery of an underground void prompted the need for an investigation.

The new facility has been named the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in honour of the city’s triple Olympic medal winner who was born in Harrogate and went to Ripon Grammar School.

Cllr Lumley said:

“Yesterday I spent a very proud morning in Ripon at the new leisure and wellness centre with local lad and Olympic hero Jack Laugher.

“I was privileged to show Jack around the new multi-million pound facility and he was delighted with what he saw.

“He was also extremely pleased that his name appeared above the door.”

Plans for a £13 million leisure centre in Knaresborough will go to the vote on Monday after a decision was previously delayed due to a “technical error”.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee was recommended to approve the controversial plans last week, but an error meant residents were not invited to speak at a meeting.

The council apologised and has now rescheduled a decision for 2pm on Monday.

Residents and campaign groups are expected to speak against the plans which include the demolition of the existing Knaresborough Swimming Pool at Fysche Field and building the new leisure centre over a play area to the rear.

Several concerns have been raised over the environmental impacts of demolishing a large building to replace it with another, as well as whether the new facility is needed.

Knaresborough Civic Society has repeatedly called on councillors to reject the plans in favour of rival proposals from the ‘Not on Fysche Field’ campaign group which has produced designs to upgrade the existing 30-year-old swimming pool.

A civic society spokesperson said:

“Knaresborough Civic Society is extremely concerned that the planning committee is in danger of making a decision on the say so of council officers that will result in unnecessary and unequivocal damage to the environment and the gateway to the town.

“On behalf of future generations, members of the planning committee must show the necessary governance and be prepared to take full responsibility for the outcome of such a huge decision.”

Read more

• Bristol firm to be awarded £28m Harrogate and Knaresborough pool contracts
• Knaresborough residents assess Storm Franklin flood damage

A public consultation on five potential locations for the proposed leisure centre was held in 2020 and referred to locating the facility “on the site of the existing pool”.

However, it was only several months after this that the council revealed it wants to build the leisure centre over a play area to the rear.

The other locations previously considered included Knaresborough House, Hay-a-Park, Conyngham Hall and a plot of land at Halfpenny Lane.

The council has hailed its proposals for Fysche Field as an opportunity to provide a “modern” and “fit-for-purpose” facility for Knaresborough’s growing population.

And if approved, the council said the new leisure centre could be built by the end of 2023.

Monday’s decision will be followed by a cabinet meeting on Wednesday when councillors will be asked to approve a £28million contract for Bristol-based firm Alliance Leisure to build the new leisure centre in Knaresborough and refurbish Harrogate Hydro.

This comes after plans for a two-storey extension of the Hydro were approved in October 2021.

These proposals include demolishing the existing entrance and replacing it with a larger reception area on the ground floor, as well as a new fitness suite on the first floor.

Harrogate Borough Council has been given a low score by a national campaign group for its plan to tackle climate change.

Climate Emergency UK employed a team of 120 volunteers to assess over 450 UK councils’ written plans to cut emissions.

They wanted to find out if each plan is costed, whether it has a clear goal and if local residents were engaged with what the councils were doing.

Harrogate Borough Council’s plan was ranked in the bottom 15% of all councils.

The authority’s carbon reduction strategy sets a target of a net zero-carbon economy in the district by 2038. This means the district would put no more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than what it takes out.

A public consultation on the council’s updated carbon reduction strategy ended this month.

Climate emergency

Unlike around 300 UK councils, Harrogate Borough Council has not called a climate emergency.

Volunteers found its strategy did not outline the implications of climate change on the local area and failed to engage well with the community.

Each council’s climate plan was given a score out of 100, with Harrogate receiving 19. The UK average was 43 with Somerset West and Taunton coming top with 92.

Read Harrogate Borough Council full scorecard here.

‘No surprise’

Harrogate and District Green Party executive Arnold Warneken said Harrogate’s low score for tackling climate change “comes as no surprise”.

He said:

“We have seen how slow the council reacts to an “emergency“, a word that doesn’t feature in the climate motion.

“There is no mention either of ecology or biodiversity, at all, demonstrating a lack of commitment the council has to protecting our future.

“I want to see us lead on the climate issue, not just following forward-thinking authorities at a pace just fast enough to stay on the scoreboard.”

Read more:

• Exclusive: Council invests £70m into climate-damaging fossil fuel companies
• ‘Disappointing and vague’: Harrogate council’s plan to tackle climate change criticised

Kirsty Hallett, from Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition, said the group was encouraging Harrogate Borough Council to develop a “robust roadmap” to reach net-zero.

She said:

“In December 2021, HDCCC trustees met with Harrogate Borough Council and responded to the council’s consultation on their revised carbon reduction plan, which has been updated since the version scored by Climate Emergency UK.

“We highlighted the need for a fully costed action plan with measurable and timed targets for climate friendly changes to our housing, energy and transport.

“Climate action plans should be communicated effectively to ensure local people understand the need to decarbonise and to highlight the climate, ecological and personal benefits of change.

“We are looking forward to seeing what improvements Harrogate Borough Council have made to their carbon reduction plan following the recent consultation.”

Jemima Parker, chair of Zero Carbon Harrogate, said she hoped the updated carbon reduction strategy can be fully costed:

“We suggested that a more holistic climate response was needed, not just carbon reduction but also climate resilience and carbon sequestration strategies were needed.

“Additionally, we felt that having an action plan which is fully costed, provides the likely carbon outcomes and also looks at the co benefits of each action would help the council prioritise their actions.”

Council’s response

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesman said:

“Unfortunately, we were unable to engage with Climate Emergency UK directly and understandably they have used historic information from our website. If we could have we would have provided a comprehensive wealth of information about the proactive work now underway across the Harrogate district.

“We have also recently consulted on an updated plan, which we look forward to sharing in the coming months.

“The existing action plan includes; improving our operational council buildings, introducing and supporting sustainable transport, working with business and public sector partners as well as influencing new development locations. The improvements we’ve made are already saving hundreds of tonnes of CO2 every year.

“We also have plans for more than 17-hectres of council-owned land have been allocated to support the White Rose Forest project. This project is a collaboration between councils across the Yorkshire region that aims to plant a substantial number of trees that will truly transform the region and help achieve carbon reduction goals. Thousands of trees will complement the 13,000 trees and hedgerow we’ve already planted.

“We are continually improving energy efficiency in our existing council buildings. The introduction of LED lighting, for example, not only makes us more energy efficient but also generates significant financial savings for the tax-payer every year.

“We’ve adopted an ultra-low emission vehicle strategy and are encouraging new developments to cater for the advances in electric vehicles. These new developments are also being supported with alternative travel options. We have also recently agreed to install electric charging points in a number of our car parks.

“Following a successful £1.8million bid from the borough council, through the government’s public sector decarbonisation scheme, the existing gas boilers at the Hydro will be replaced with heat pumps, along with the installation of solar panels as well as metering and energy monitoring and control systems. It is anticipated that the carbon footprint for the building will be reduced by up to 60%

“These are just some of the schemes and projects – to date – that will help us reach this target.

“The most effective projects for achieving our ambitious targets are not going to happen overnight but we are committed to working hard to implement the right measures in the best way possible.

“We can’t do this alone – and nor would we want to – and plan on continuing to work with partners, business, the Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition and communities to help achieve our target of a net zero-carbon economy by 2038.

“Together we can make a difference.”

Harrogate Borough Council paid a social media influencer from Bristol £700 to promote the town’s Christmas Fayre in a blog — which only received two likes on Facebook, including one from the council itself.

Heather on Her Travels is run by travel blogger Heather Cowper and is aimed at people over 50. Ms Cowper writes about her trips to different places in the UK and abroad with articles focused on “authentic travel with a little luxury”.

In December last year, Ms Cowper, who has 8,000 followers on Twitter, 4,000 on Facebook and 17,000 on Instagram, published an article called “11 Fun Things To Do Over Harrogate – Our Winter Break”.

It named the council’s new Harrogate Christmas Fayre as the number 1 attraction.

The Stray Ferret discovered through a freedom of information request that the council, through its tourism body Visit Harrogate, paid Ms Cowper £700 + VAT for the article.

Its performance on social media raises questions over whether the fee represents value for money.

On Twitter, the article received just one retweet. It performed better on Facebook but still only won two likes, including one from Visit Harrogate.

One of the Instagram posts.

Several photos of the trip on Instagram fared better, receiving up to 50 likes.

Read more:

• Harrogate residents launch campaign against Tesco plan

• Harrogate Station Gateway could take a year longer to complete than expected

Other UK councils have used social media influencers to promote their area, including Edinburgh City Council. Edinburgh Live reported the authority paid £14,000 to Instagram influencers who praised the Scottish capital as a destination.

However, these posts were more successful, with one post about a bike tour around Edinburgh racking up almost 2,500 likes.

‘Attracts our target demographic’

Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, which controls Visit Harrogate, defended the £700 fee for Ms Cowper. Ms Rio said she produced “incredibly well-written content” that could help the council attract new visitors through social media:

“The digital landscape has changed significantly in the last few years with around 80% of adults (53 million) using social media daily, with the average user spending almost two hours on these platforms.

“Like many other destination management organisations – as well as most businesses – Destination Harrogate is keen to capitalise on this incredibly effective marketing tool to target specific audiences, especially around the tourism and travel sector.

“Heather Cowper was chosen as she regularly appears on the lists of top 100 travel blogs worldwide and has established herself as one of the best traveller bloggers. Regularly receiving thousands of views every month on her videos, photos, podcasts and blogs.

“Heather’s content is also incredibly well written – having spent many years sharing her own travel experiences and insights – and also attracts our target demographic.

“The joy of using social media as a marketing tool is that it is often more cost-effective and engaging than traditional advertising, as we can utilise photography and video as well as words. All adverts and promotions can also be evaluated extensively; whether that’s reach and engagement or driving traffic to our website, for example.

“We can also continue to adapt and tailor our approach to future campaigns, attract new visitors, as well as understand the behaviours of our target demographic to ensure a return on our investment.

“Social media advertising and the use of influencers to increase brand awareness looks like it will continue to be one of the most beneficial marketing tools. We’re keen to continue using it to showcase what the Harrogate district has to offer and stand out amongst competitor destinations.”

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed it hasn’t issued any fines in the last 12 months for failing to clean up dog mess.

The council’s dog warden service urged people to report dog mess last week. In a post on Facebook, it said there had been “an increase in dog fouling across the whole district”, especially in Harlow Hill.

It added the Otley Road area around Beckwith Road, Nursery Lane and the ginnel from the Shepherd’s Dog Pub to the allotments was “particularly bad”.

The council can issue fixed penalty notices of up to £80 for dog fouling. However, it struggles to catch anyone in the act.

This week it told the Stray Ferret it had not issued any fines for dog fouling in the last year or the previous year either.

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A council spokesperson said:

“Dealing with the issue of dog fouling is very resource intensive and requires us having people in the right place at the right time to catch someone committing an offence within the 505 square miles of the Harrogate district.

“We are very fortunate that the vast majority of people who live here or come to visit take considerable pride in the appearance of the area. Because of this they do the right thing and pick up after their dog and dispose of it responsibly.

“Unfortunately, we have seen an increase in in particular areas and would encourage residents witnessing someone not picking up after their dog to report it to us so we can focus our patrols to try and prevent it from happening.”